It’s finally the holidays! I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek of what’s in store this season at Shoppers Drug Mart.

Sony Extra Bass Wireless Speaker

Tired of playing your music full blast on your phone? Pick up for a friend (or for yourself) the Sony Extra Bass Wireless Speaker ($69)! No need to equalize the settings on your phone, as the little speaker is powerful and provides the extra bass for holiday parties! An extra bonus, if you have the NFC one touch, simply place your phone against the speaker for instant music! Don’t worry about spilling holiday drinks over your speaker because it’s almost water resistant with a 16h battery life! (more…)

I’m SO excited for Christmas this year! It’s my first year having my own place to decorate, and it’s also my first Christmas as a married (!) lady. Canadian Tire has a fantastic holiday collection featuring different colour trends..

I’ll be a beautiful blue Christmas with this selection. Lights are lit with a cool hue, and blue, white and blue complement each other.

Red Canadiana

If you love traditional Christmas ornaments, and plaid is your jam, this is the collection for you. Here you’ll find adorable animals, cozy plaid stockings to hang on the fireplace, and some fun ornaments.

Bright and Merry

Do you love colour? Look no further than the bright collection, popping with neon blues and pinks. This could be perfect to decorate the kids room, or to accent your living room with something a little different! The wrapping paper and pretty ribbons will definitely make the gifts under your tree pop.

Glittering Gold

To me, gold screams Christmas! It’s my favourite collection of the bunch. I love the pretty golden feather garlands, shimmering gold ornaments, and all the different shades of gold, bronze and rose gold. I have a bit of an obsession with rose gold, so I love the ornaments and the geometric vases.

Stunning Silver

I know I said that gold is my favourite, but silver is a close second. The silver collection includes pretty silver star garlands, festive cushions and garlands that say “fa la la,” and beautiful geometric trees. The silver leaf wreath is one of my favourite items of the entire Canadian Tire collection.

I’m so excited to finally be able to share my wedding day with you! It’s crazy how you spend so many months planning the perfect day, and then it’s gone just like that. I had my wedding at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club on the Toronto Islands. I couldn’t have picked a more perfect location. There was just one small problem…the Toronto Islands had flooded earlier this summer, forcing many weddings to be cancelled or relocated. I was so lucky that on the day of my wedding, we had perfect, sunny weather. It was also late enough in the summer that the island had dried out a bit. Phew! (more…)

In only a few days, one of Toronto’s hottest events will light up the night. TIFF boombox, an annual fundraiser, is on November 2nd. Each year, the theme is different. This year, the theme is inspired by the classic film, Fame! The Lightbox will come alive with art installations, performances and music all throughout the space.

“Unlike traditional charity fundraisers[…] the goal of Boombox is to take party-goers outside their comfort zone with theatrical, immersive experiences that leave a lasting impression.”

Guests will wander through the building for a choose-your-own adventure of music, art. food, drinks. Fly Lady Di fuses traditional Filipino movement with street dance. DJs Nino Brown & Dre Ngozi will be spinning, and there are a slew of other artists and performers that will keep you entertained. See the full list of artists here.

All funds raised at the event will go to Share her Journey– TIFF’s initiative supporting women in front of and behind the camera. The initiative aims to increase participation, skills, and opportunities for women behind and in front of the camera.

I got married over the summer, and planning was a whirlwind! Between reading wedding blogs, to being on Pinterest 24/7 I had tons of ideas. I wanted guests to be able to find their tables easily at my wedding. I remember previous weddings where guests were crowded around a seating chart, and I remember having a hard time finding my name. That’s why I decided to use escort cards for my wedding.

What’s an escort card, you say? An escort card is a card that has your name and the table that you will be sitting at. It’s called an escort card because it literally escorts you to your table. Don’t confuse this (as my fiancé did) with a place card, which is a card that’s already at your table when you arrive, showing you where your seat is. Oy. (more…)

Goose Island fans, you’re in luck! The Goose Island Brewhouse is now open and brewing beers in Toronto along with delicious eats. The massive space (18,000 square feet) has ample seating, including a patio in the front and back of the restaurant.

The decor includes nods to Chicago with black and white subway tiles. Sections of the walls are made with aged bourbon barrels that they use to brew one of their most popular brews, and it looks beautiful.

Goose Island encourages their guests to learn about their beers and the brewing process. In addition to being a restaurant, the space is also a functional brewery. You’ll find up to 7 beers fermenting at once, and they have several giant 1500 liter tanks in the space. Guests can interact with the brewers as they work on a tank. Almost all of the beers brewed here are re-imagined specifically for the Toronto market.

There’s also an original Banksy!

There’s a small garden in the back where they grow their own hops as long as the weather permits. The growing season for hops starts in May and they’re harvested in September. Next year they will be able to brew a truly local triple hops beer.

“We’re thrilled to bring Toronto beer lovers the Goose Island favourites that they already know and love, along with outstanding new locally made brews,” said Bernard Priest, Head Brewer, Goose Island Toronto Brewhouse. “Since coming to Canada in 2013, Goose Island has been warmly welcomed by Canadians. We’re very enthusiastic about the experience we will deliver in partnership with the Bier Markt Esplanade, re-establishing its roots and being a part of the community.”

There’s a retail store where people can buy T-shirt, hats and growlers of beer. Speaking of beer…. the pub will serve Goose Island’s classic brews along with new and
innovative styles developed by the local brewers. The bar features 12 draught taps, many of which will constantly rotate. Rare brews from Chicago will be featured for special occasions. Flights of beers will be available. Want to see what’s on tap? Check out the website before heading down.

Low & Slow Reuben Sandwich $16

Executive Chef Kevin Maniaci and Chef de Cuisine Shawn Jackson are passionate about beer and understands the nuances of pairing food with beer. The menu features local ingredients and in some cases, Goose Island brews.

The Low & Slow Reuben Sandwich $16 is filled with brisket that’s been cured in-house for 6 days then smoked for 6 hours with sauerkraut. It’s super tender and packed with flavour. The sandwich has Swiss cheese, Russian dressing and house-made mustard on light rye.

Amanda is a self-proclaimed heartless girl (and new bride!) exploring, eating, shopping and living in the general Toronto area. Lives to travel, and wear funky stockings. Loves to read and has a mild tea addiction. More